CDS course discussion, Apr 2014

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This page keeps track of proposed changes to CDS courses that would be implemented in 2014-15 and future academic years. In the pages below, insertions are marked in blue and deletions are in red and stroked out.

Background: With the establishment of the new CMS PhD program, we are trying to better align the CDS program with the structure of the CMS program and also update our course structure to better serve other options that make use of CDS courses.

2015-16

CDS 110b not offered; attempt to co-offer CDS 112/212 as an integrated class

Remove CDS 150 from catalog

2016-17

RMM on sabbatical

Offer CDS 112/212 either as two classes or one integrated class, depending on 2015-16 experience

Catalog entries

CDS 90 abc. Senior Thesis in Control and Dynamical Systems. 9 units (0-0-9); first, second, third terms. Prerequisite: CDS 110 ab or CDS 140 ab (may be taken concurrently). Research in control and dynamical systems, supervised by a Caltech faculty member. The topic selection is determined by the adviser and the student and is subject to approval by the CDS faculty. First and second terms: midterm progress report and oral presentation during finals week. Third term: completion of thesis and final presentation. Not offered on a pass/fail basis. Instructor: Murray.

CDS 101. Design and Analysis of Feedback Systems. 6 units (2-0-4); first term. Prerequisites: Ma 1 and Ma 2 or equivalents. An introduction to feedback and control in physical, biological, engineering, and information sciences. Basic principles of feedback and its use as a tool for altering the dynamics of systems and managing uncertainty. Key themes throughout the course will include input/output response, modeling and model reduction, linear vs. nonlinear models, and local vs. global behavior. This course is taught concurrently with CDS 110 a, but is intended for students who are interested primarily in the concepts and tools of control theory and not the analytical techniques for design and synthesis of control systems. Instructors: MacMartin, Burdick, Murray.

CDS 110 ab. Introductory Control Theory. 12 units (3-0-9) first, 9 units (3-0-6) second terms. Prerequisites: Ma 1 and Ma 2 or equivalents; ACM 95/100 may be taken concurrently. An introduction to analysis and design of feedback control systems, including classical control theory in the time and frequency domain. Modeling of physical, biological, and information systems using linear and nonlinear differential equations. Stability and performance of interconnected systems, including use of block diagrams, Bode plots, the Nyquist criterion, and Lyapunov functions. Robustness and uncertainty management in feedback systems through stochastic and deterministic methods. Introductory random processes, Kalman filtering, and norms of signals and systems. The first term of this course is taught concurrently with CDS 101, but includes additional lectures, reading, and homework that is focused on analytical techniques for design and synthesis of control systems. Instructors: MacMartin, Doyle, Burdick, Murray.

ME 131. Advanced Robotics: Manipulation and Sensing. 9 units (3-6-0); third term. Prerequisite: ME 115 ab. The course focuses on current topics in robotics research in the area of robotic manipulation and sensing. Past topics have included advanced manipulator kinematics, grasping and dextrous manipulation using multifingered hands, and advanced obstacle avoidance and motion planning algorithms. The lectures will be divided between a review of the appropriate analytical techniques and a survey of the current research literature. Course work will focus on an independent research project chosen by the student. Not offered 2013–14.

ME/CS 132 ab. Advanced Robotics: Navigation and Vision. 9 units (3-6-0); first, second terms. Prerequisite: ME 115 ab. The course focuses on current topics in robotics research in the area of autonomous navigation and vision. Topics will include mobile robots, multilegged walking machines, use of vision in navigation systems. The lectures will be divided between a review of the appropriate analytical techniques and a survey of the current research literature. Course work will focus on an independent research project chosen by the student. Not offered 2013–14.

CDS 150. Stochastic System Analysis and Bayesian Updating. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Recommended prerequisite: ACM/EE 116. This course focuses on a probabilistic treatment of uncertainty in modeling a dynamical system’s input-output behavior, including propagating uncertainty in the input through to the output. It covers the foundations of probability as a multi-valued logic for plausible reasoning with incomplete information that extends Boolean logic, giving a rigorous meaning for the probability of a model for a system. Approximate analytical methods and efficient stochastic simulation methods for robust system analysis and Bayesian system identification are covered. Topics include: Bayesian updating of system models based on system time-history data, including Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques; Bayesian model class selection with a recent information-theoretic interpretation that shows why it automatically gives a quantitative Ockham’s razor; stochastic simulation methods for the output of stochastic dynamical systems subject to stochastic inputs, including Subset Simulation for calculating small “failure” probabilities; and Bayes filters for sequential estimation of system states and model parameters, that generalize the Kalman filter to nonlinear dynamical systems. Instructor: Beck.

CDS 190. Independent Work in Control and Dynamical Systems. Units to be arranged; first, second, third terms; maximum two terms. Prerequisite: CDS 110 ab or CDS 140 ab. Research project in control and dynamical systems, supervised by a CDS faculty member.

CDS 212. Introduction to Modern Control. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisites: ACM 95/100 abc or equivalent; CDS 110 ab or equivalent. Introduction to modern control systems with emphasis on the role of control in overall system analysis and design. Examples drawn from throughout engineering and science. Open versus closed loop control. State-space methods, time and frequency domain, stability and stabilization, realization theory. Time-varying and nonlinear models. Uncertainty and robustness. Instructor: Doyle.

ACM 217/EE 164. Advanced Topics in Stochastic Analysis. 9 units (3-0-6); third term. Prerequisite: ACM 216 or equivalent. The topic of this course changes from year to year and is expected to cover areas such as stochastic differential equations, stochastic control, statistical estimation and adaptive filtering, empirical processes and large deviation techniques, concentration inequalities and their applications. Example of selected topics for stochastic differential equations include continuous time Brownian motion, Ito's calculus, Girsanov theorem, stopping times, and applications of these ideas to mathematical finance and stochastic control.

Ae/CDS/ME 251 ab. Closed Loop Flow Control. 9 units; (3-0-6 a, 1-3-5- b). Prerequisites: ACM 100abc, Ae/APh/CE/ME 101abc or equivalent. This course seeks to introduce students to recent developments in theoretical and practical aspects of applying control to flow phenomena and fluid systems. Lecture topics in the second term drawn from: the objectives of flow control; a review of relevant concepts from classical and modern control theory; high-fidelity and reduced-order modeling; principles and design of actuators and sensors. Third term: laboratory work in open- and closed-loop control of boundary layers, turbulence, aerodynamic forces, bluff body drag, combustion oscillations and flow-acoustic oscillations. Instructor: Colonius, McKeon

CDS 270. Advanced Topics in Systems and Control. Hours and units by arrangement. Topics dependent on class interests and instructor. May be repeated for credit.

CDS 300 abc. Research in Control and Dynamical Systems. Hours and units by arrangement. Research in the field of control and dynamical systems. By arrangement with members of the staff, properly qualified graduate students are directed in research. Instructor: Staff.